Vips

Hub of Community

The Challenge

Vips is one of Mexico’s leading restaurant destinations with a fifty-year heritage, and nearly 1,500 locations across the country. Watt was tasked with rejuvenating the brand, which was losing relevancy due to competition from local and international chains. Vips needed to re-establish its roots in this changing landscape with a differentiating proposition and refreshed restaurant experience relevant to an emerging new generation of consumers.

The Approach

Our strategy team conducted a detailed assessment of the competitive landscape and undertook a consumer segmentation study to identify core and opportunity segments for further development and investment.

Based on key attitudinal and behavioural drivers identified, Watt developed a new positioning for Vips that focused on its role as a social hub for community life.

Being a family restaurant at its core, the creative concept centred on the idea of Vips as the ‘heart of the home’, the ultimate place in Mexican culture where family and friends unite for comfort and pleasure.

Watt created an environment that emulated defined zones within a home that offer a variety of diverse experiences.

Fixturing elements were derived from the first letter in the restaurant name’s wordmark. Metal frames holding red glass shapes were used to separate areas and add visual movement, while allowing visibility into alternate spaces. A variety of seating options and residential style ‘sofa’ seating made comfort key and added definition to different zones.

Each rolled-out restaurant reflects the uniqueness of the local community, using black and white photos that are simple and familial in style to highlight a feature, story or event relevant to the neighbourhood.

The Outcome

Reactions to the new restaurant design have been overwhelmingly positive and supported by stronger business performance.